The wind powers all boats. Before a sailor decides to leave his/her dock, they should perform a variety of checks on the wind. Here are few checks every sailor must do:

Does the wind have any shifts?

What is the current speed of the wind?

Is wind blowing in a specific direction?

Does the water have any windy movements? Or, is the water glassy and flat?

Over the years, many techniques have been developed to understand the shifts caused by wind. In fact, skilled sailors can predict wind shifts based on the color of water. Windpuffs and shifts create dark water patches.

You must tighten or loosen the sails based on the wind puffs and shifts.

Understanding the Wind!

The boat needs the wind just like how the airplane needs it! The moment wind passes through the airplane’s wing high pressure gets created below the wing. Next, pressure above the airplane’s wing decreases. This effect happens on sailboats too! The curved sail works just like the airplane’s wing. The curved sail creates a life and pushes the boat forward.

Entering and Leaving the boat

Do you know that stepping into and out of the boat is art?

Sailors must be aware of how to enter and leave the boat. With boat rigging, the boat should be pointed towards the wind. This way the boat will flutter or luff in the direction of the wind. This will make sure the boat doesn’t sail down the wrong path. After you board the boat, you must turn it away from the direction of the wind. Next, the sails must be trimmed. This change will give your boat an immediate lift! This is definitely a great way to kickstart your journey.

You must ease the mainsail and release the jib when you get back to the dock. Now, you should move in the direction of the wind. Next, you must slow the boat gradually.

At all times, you must release the sails smoothly. This is the best way to slow down the boat and reduce the risks of collision.

A Skilled Sailor

Any skilled sailor would know the difference between apparent and true winds. By definition, apparent wind creates an illusion of movement. And, the true wind is what you feel when you stand still on the dock. Movement is created as a combination of true and apparent wind. However, sailors should understand the differences between true and apparent wind. Apparent wind gives plenty of information about the boat’s power source.

Important Jargons!

Moving on, you must be aware of many wind terms. Here are few critical terms you should understand:

Falling off

Heading up

Windward

Downwind

Upwind

Leeward

Next, there are two critical types of tacks: jibing and tacking. The mainsail and jib should be parallel all the time. This maximizes the lift experienced by your boat.

According to experts, learning the tides is never simple. In fact, it can be exceptionally intimidating. Before you go on a sailing expedition, you should spend some time understanding more about the tides.

In this short article, you will read about everything a novice sailor should know about the tides. The tips discussed in this article will definitely guide you and help you on your next sailing expedition.

Understanding Gravitational Pull

Do you remember Galileo? Well, most smart people and sailors know him! Galileo has many theories on tides. It took several decades for people to study and analyze tides.

Most of the principles around tides are understood mathematically. Fortunately, they are simple and easy to grasp.

In general, tides exist due to celestial pull between the sun and the moon. When compared to the sun, the moon is relatively small. The gigantic sun is positioned far away. Gravitational pull is directly proportional to mass and is inversely proportional to distance. When you balance these principles, the impact on the sun on the earth is around 46% that of the moon’s pull.

Thus, the moon and the sun has noticeable effects on earth. This effect results in tides.

Tides are more focused on the gravitational pull. It is specifically related to the way our oceans move. All celestial objects are strongly affected by tides. If you are a sailor, you must be aware of how strong the tides will be during your journey.

The Double Bulge Phenomenon

The above description about tides is insufficient! As a sailor, you must be concerned about the planet’s bulge. It is important to understand that tides caused when the planet bulges towards a faraway object can cause serious effects.

Sailors can use a calamari ring to understand the science behind double bulge.

The technique: Take a calamari ring and you should hold it in two opposite points. Now, you must keep one side still and carefully pull the opposite side. In some time, the ring will start to bulge. In fact, it will bulge on both the sides but in a line.

The earth experiences a similar effect. The bulge happens on both the side. The bulge occurs between the earth and the moon in a single line.

Understanding the Currents

Last but certainly not least, you must understand more about the currents. If you are planning to sail, you must figure out spots with high currents and low currents. Some areas can have extremely strong currents. Sailing in these regions will be difficult and dangerous. You should read the wind and figure out how strong the currents can get. To sail safe, you must remain in shallow waters. Sail into deep seas only when it is favorable.

The Ultimate Bottom Line

Tides can make your experience with the waves difficult and complicated. It is important to understand different types of tidal situations. This is how you can sail better and have a better experience.

When it comes to cruising/sailing, you have thousands of books to choose from! As you type “best sailing books to read” in your search engine, you will be given a variety of options.

Picking the right book about sailing is important. It will prepare your technically and emotionally for the journey. Some books will be better than the rest. But remember, every book is a journey itself. It is written to deliver a unique story. That is why you should read as many sailing books as possible. With this being said, here are top few sailing books every adventure lover should own!

Books By Jimmy Cornell

Cornell has written many fascinating books for sailors. Two of his finest creations are “World Cruising Handbook” and “World Cruising Routes”.

World Cruising Handbook is much more than a book. It can be treated like a companion. Cornell lists out everything you would come across. It could be the formalities, visa requirements, entry ports or customs regulations, Cornell has noted down everything. This book can be treated like an encyclopedia for sailing. It is not available on the internet (at least when this page was written).

World Cruising Routes is another wonderful creation. As suggested by its name, it has all fantastic routers you can think of. It gives sailors a comprehensive insight on how to go, where to go and above all, where shouldn’t you go! Cornell writes this book with great authority.

Book By Hal Roth

If you are looking for a comprehensive guide on sailing, you must read Hal Roth’s “How to Sail Around the World”. Once again, this is a great book with plenty of tips, details on storm tactics and essential sailing gears. When compared to many other books on sailing, this book is extremely technical. But, the author manages to convey all technical facts in a simple, easy-to-read fashion. Throughout the book, you will be offered loads of information, tricks, and tips.

Books by Nigel Calder

Nigel Calder’s “Cruising Handbook” has become extremely famous in the past few years! If you are longing for some authority over cruising, you need this handbook. It is stocked with useful data and striking facts. The book covers critical topics in an accessible manner.

Key Selling Point: Calder has not missed out on any facts. The book covers volumes of data in style.

Another interesting book by Calder would be “Mechanical and Electrical Manual”. Most boat lovers have a copy of this book. As suggested by its name, it is a mechanical reference to many important facts. As you read the book, you will be absolutely grateful for what is discussed. When something fails in your boat, this is probably your first go-to-stop.

Remember, all boat components are likely to fail! The question is, when and how would they fail?

Book by Beth Leonard

The Voyager’s Handbook is something you will fall in love with. There are very few books like this one. The book has everything from meal plans to navigation to life during a storm.

Sailing is the process of controlling a boat using very large fabric foils called sails. The sailor changes the steering wheel, rigging and the central board, which sailors can be able to force winds on the sails so and change the direction in which the boat is moving, and also the speed. Important things you need to know when learning sailing are:

Types of boats

Types of boats are classified according to the shape and number of sails, the number of masts and their location. Rigs are different combinations of sails and masts. Rigs consist of the mast, boom, stays, and sails. Types of single rigs are: sloop, boat Catboat, Sunfish or Lateen, and catamaran. Single rigs have only one mast. The divided rigs have two or more masts, and the types are yawl, schooners, and ketch.

Points of Sail

When you learn to sail, one crucial aspect is the point of the sail. A sailing point is a connection between the directions of the wind and where your boat is. Different points of the sail – this is when the wind goes ahead or is beaten, the wind from the side or reaches and the wind from the stern or run.
Maneuvering a boat in the other direction can be difficult, and this requires a lot of practice. There are two basic maneuvers. They are the come about and the jibe. Come about is maneuvering your boat in the reverse direction. This is done when you start your boat or when docking. Reversing the boat can be difficult, especially for novice sailors. A faster way to turn your boat is to jibe. This is faster because the rear of the boat is set across the wind.

Sailing Rules

A sailing boat should follow the laws of the sea. These rules are designed for different traffic situations. See the speed limits on local waterways to avoid possible collision with another boat. It is essential to acquaint and follow these rules for safe sailing. It is for this reason that the safety of the boat is a fundamental aspect in learning to sail: to know what to do if there is a possible situation in the boat or water, for example, the risk of collision and ways to avoid it.

Anchoring a boat

One of the fundamental skills of sailing is anchoring a boat. It requires practice to master this skill. Besides, boat safety is essential not only for your boat but also for other boats. Each crew must know their role in securing the boat.

Marine flags

Flags and windshields are good wind direction indicators. Flags are also used for communication with other boats. An international code of signals that can be executed using flags is created to communicate with other boats during tranquility and distress situations. Flags have individual values or can be combined to form a message and transferred to other boats. Hand signs can be of great help when you give directions and do not shout because they cannot be heard amidst roaring of the engines of other boats. You also need to consider how different boats are tied nearby.

Sailing Safety

Finally, learn how to swim. If you do not know how to swim, always bring or wear a life jacket. Always be with someone who also knows how to sail or someone more experienced in sailing. Getting the weather forecast for the week that you plan to sail is the safest way to prepare your voyage and always listen to the weather prediction when you are at sea.